New guidelines promote alternatives to caesarean births

4.00pm

New guidelines recommending safe alternatives to caesarean-section births were introduced today.

The guidelines will apply in cases where breech births are expected or where the mother has previously had a caesarean.

A Health Ministry maternity services report published last year said 22 per cent of hospital births in 2001 were by caesarean section, and the rate of caesareans had grown by 1 per cent annually over the previous four years.

The New Zealand Guidelines Group (NZGG), which issued the new guidelines, said today that while a caesarean section, in which a baby is surgically removed from the womb, could be life-saving in emergency situations there were risks and the operation should be avoided if possible.

Women were often told they needed a caesarean when a breech birth was expected or if they had previously had a caesarean.

But Professor Cindy Farquhar, chairwoman of the guideline team, said in those situations there were now safe alternatives that could be used to help women have a natural birth, removing the risks associated with surgery.

"This means that they (the mother) will recover from the birth faster, and the chance of infection from surgery and risks of blood transfusion will be reduced," she said in a statement.

"Babies born vaginally will also be spared the health problems associated with caesarean birth."

She said the group's research had identified that that many pregnant women and their families did not understand the risks associated with surgical birth.

Prof Farquhar said the group strongly recommended that all midwives, general practitioners and obstetricians give full, good quality evidence-based information about the risks associated with surgical birth.

Health Ministry Acting Deputy Director-General, Clinical Services Pat Tuohy said the ministry would actively promote the new guidelines.

"Over the next few months we are keen to work with professional organisations and district health boards to promote the guidelines to health professionals so that they understand the reasons for this advice," he said in a statement.

"We are developing brochures for pregnant women and their families which will clearly describe the alternatives, risks and benefits of surgical birth, and we want to reassure them that often there are alternatives that will be safe for both the baby and the mother."

The guidelines were produced by the NZGG, which is an independent charitable organisation set up to promote evidence-based health care. Their development was funded by the Health Ministry.

- NZPA